An electric foil to modern-day pirates
 
Sri Jegarajah Bloomberg News
Monday, November 4, 2002
But system might not deter a determined terrorist
 
ROTTERDAM It's enough to make even hardened sea dogs think twice: a 9,000-volt electric fence designed to zap pirates and other intruders as they try to board ships.
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The suspected terrorist attack on a French oil tanker in Yemen on Oct. 6 has raised concerns about the security of ships and seamen on the high seas. And strengthening onboard security may persuade insurers to lower premiums for ships headed to places like Indonesia, whose waters were declared a war-risk zone by insurers last week, according to Regional Container PCL, Thailand's largest shipper.
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Secure-Marine, a company based in Rotterdam, says its new device can ward off modern-day buccaneers, who often arrive at night aboard motorboats and scale vessels by rope.
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"If it's effective and if there is the take-up, then it could be reflected in rates," said Jonathan Ranger, principal officer at the Lloyd's marine insurance syndicate Watkins in Singapore. But he added, "An electric fence is unlikely to stop a determined terrorist."
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Attacks at sea range from "maritime mugging," in which thieves board anchored vessels to steal personal belongings, to heists in which goods are stolen at gunpoint by organized gangs, said Jayant Abhyankar, a 17-year merchant navy captain who is now deputy director at the International Maritime Bureau, a division of the International Chamber of Commerce, a trade lobby.
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Attacks off Indonesia accounted for 72 of 271 reported pirate attacks from January to September of 2001, the bureau said, citing its latest figures.
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Global piracy attacks rose from 253 in the first nine months of 2000, the bureau said. Other hot spots include the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, where armed militias seized four commercial vessels near Somalia since January.
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Secure-Ship is modeled on the electrified fences that enclose military installations. It strings wires from poles that poke from a vessel's deck and "can stop anyone from trying to board a ship - pirate or terrorist," said Raphael Kahn, director of the Dutch security company.
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The cost varies from ship to ship. Buyers can expect to pay about E20,000 ($19,900) to fit a vessel less than 150 meters (490 feet) long, Kahn said.
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The system has drawbacks: Its high-voltage current means that it cannot be used on oil tankers like the Limburg, the French ship that was attacked off Yemen, or liquefied natural gas carriers and other vessels carrying flammable cargoes. It offers no protection against suicide squads like those who used an explosives-packed boat to attack the U.S. destroyer Cole off Aden in Oct. 2000.
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It may also endanger crews.
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"It's not going to be too long before a stevedore or crew member accidentally electrocutes himself, and shipping companies start getting insurance claims," said Darryl Kennard, a maritime lawyer at Thomas Cooper Stibbard in Singapore.
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Despite the potential risks, Secure-Marine hopes to win its first order from Jumbo Shipping, a Rotterdam-based company with 11 ships that transport heavy parts for power stations and oil rigs across the globe. Jumbo is testing the system for six months on one of its vessels, the 7,500-ton Fairlift, said Bert de Wolff, the company's marketing and communications director. Jumbo's ships traverse the Strait of Malacca, between Indonesia and Malaysia.
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"Our ships trade worldwide, and one of the risk areas is the Malacca Strait, and there's no way that we can circumvent that," de Wolff said. "Hopefully, it will reassure not only the crew but the families of the seafarers who have read the stories about piracy in the newspapers and are understandably worried."
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Companies that offer maritime security services applaud the invention.
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"I can imagine if you get a belt like that, it can spoil your entire afternoon," said Chris Austen, managing partner of Underwater Security Consultants, a London-based firm that offers anti-terrorist and piracy protection for clients such as submarine cable installers.

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